THE BUZZ: Obsidian Entertainment has reportedly made a number of staff members redundant and cancelled work on an unannounced next-gen project.

An anonymous tipster has told Joystiq that around ”20-30″ employees “from all disciplines” have been let go.

“Another project canceled, this time for a future next-gen project and the layoffs impacted that team, plus the existing South Park team,” the tipster claimed.

A number of LinkedIn profiles posted on the developer’s official forums add weight to the reports.

Obsidian is currently working on a South Park RPG.

EGM’s TAKE: While the developer hasn’t officially confirmed the layoffs, based on the number of updated LinkedIn profiles it appears to be true. News like this is never easy to take and we hope that those who have been let go manage to find new work quickly. Hopefully this hasn’t hindered development of the South Park game.

Matthew Bennett finally got his big break with EGM three years ago, following years of volunteer work for various sites. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream. Follow him on Twitter @mattyjb89. Meet the rest of the crew.